Soldiers in Colorado slayings tell of Iraq horrors

[Algorem]

Source: cleveland.com

Sunday July 26, 2009, 6:27 PM

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado -- Soldiers from an Army unit that had 10 infantrymen accused of murder, attempted murder or manslaughter after returning to civilian life described a breakdown in discipline during their Iraq deployment in which troops murdered civilians, a newspaper reported Sunday.

Some Fort Carson, Colorado,-based soldiers have had trouble adjusting to life back in the United States, saying they refused to seek help, or were belittled or punished for seeking help. Others say they were ignored by their commanders, or coped through drug and alcohol abuse before they allegedly committed crimes, The Gazette of Colorado Springs said.

The Gazette based its report on months of interviews with soldiers and their families, medical and military records, court documents and photographs.

Several soldiers said unit discipline deteriorated while in Iraq...

"

Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/world/index.ssf/2009/07/soldiers_in_colorado_slayings.html

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http://www.gazette.com/

[madmom]

1. I just posted the same story, but from a different newspaper...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=6156848&mesg_id=6156848

[Selatius]

2. One of these days, a war veteran is going to flip out on a police officer and kill the officer.

Then when the other officers show up to try to arrest him or kill him, he's going to switch back into war mode and fight like he was back on the streets of Iraq. Then we're going to have ourselves a real war right at home.

This snippet from the article should demonstrate to all what I mean:

Soldier John Needham described a number of alleged crimes in a December 2007 letter to the Inspector General's Office of Fort Carson. In the letter, obtained by The Gazette, Needham said that a sergeant shot a boy riding a bicycle down the street for no reason.

Another sergeant shot a man in the head while questioning him, lashed the man's body to his Humvee and drove around the neighborhood. Needham also claimed sergeants removed victims' brains.

The Army's criminal investigation division interviewed unit soldiers and said it couldn't substantiate the allegations.

These people were trained to be war machines. Then we just dump them back into society and expect them to just live life like it never happened. Once you turn the kill switch ON, it stays ON until help is given to turn it OFF.

[noamnety]

3. K&R

important reading

[defendandprotect]

4. This is what our military, our country is doing to our soldiers . . .

imagine what we are doing in our prisons!!

[Blue_Tires]

5. k+r